A Christmas Truce
by catthegreat
Summary: WW1 AU. Rumors of a Truce run all along the Western Front on Christmas Eve 1914, and Eren finds himself in one of the German squads participating. He meets a short Frenchman who speaks German and has excellent Champagne and instantly takes a liking to him. But once the truce is over, will he ever see that man again? 3-shot. Eventual RiRen. Title changed.
1. 1914

**AN:** _Happy 10th day of Ficmas! For my Christmas gift to my readers, I have a 3-shot SNK fic set in a WW1 AU. This first chapter is based on the Christmas Truce of 1914, which took place all along the Western Front (Westfront in German). Footnotes and translations are listed at the bottom._

_Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)_

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**24. December 1914**

**On the German side of the Westfront**

Eren Jäger wanted nothing more than to be out of the trenches and home for Christmas. He'd believed the Kaiser when he'd claimed they would all be home before the leaves had fallen from the trees. But now the leaves were long since gone, and all that remained was a blanket of snow lining the ground.

He'd heard rumors from across the Front that men from both sides had been exchanging greetings, carols, and promises of a truce the following day, but he had yet to see it anywhere near him. All around him was snow and silence. He leaned back against the wall, preparing to doze off while the men weren't set on killing each other.

And that's when it happened.

A melody he couldn't quite make out drifted across from No-Man's Land. Eren's eyes shot open. The whispers from before that he had blocked out crashed back in his ears, but along with them the melody rang clear. It was Stille Nacht, his favourite. But something was off. The words…they weren't right.

A crunching to his right alerted him of someone's arrival. "Hey, Jäger, sounds like damn Tommy (1) got the words all wrong." Eren didn't even bother to look and see who it was; he already knew. Reiner Braun was tall and blond, grew up in the same small town just outside of Leipzig as he did, and – despite being in these damn trenches as long as Eren had – was still the happy-go-lucky guy the brunet had grown up with.

More voices joined the melody on the other side.

"Yeah, we're thinking of teaching them the words." It was Connie, a younger boy from München, who spoke this time. Apparently, while Eren was distracted listening to the song, others had joined him and Braun.

It took a second, but the words finally sunk in. "You're talking about…a truce?"

"Don't go getting your trousers in a knot, it's just a song. We'll wait till there done with the first verse, then we'll step in, alright?"

Eren nodded, and everyone went silent until the song faded out.

Reiner smiled and raised his hands like a conductor. "Eins, zwei, drei…"

And then they all sang.

_Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, _

_Alles schläft; einsam wacht_

_Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. _

_Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, _

_Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! _

_Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! _(2)

They had barely stopped singing when a third verse began in another language Eren didn't understand. He cocked his head, trying to hear if it was different from the first verse or the same, when Reiner slugged his shoulder.

"What's that for?" He demanded, but the other simply pointed.

One of their men was crawling out of the trench. Eren vaguely recognized him as one of the new men from Berlin, Franz something.

"Vollidiot," Reiner muttered. Eren agreed. Connie was already halfway up to joining him.

Eren snatched his friend's legs and dragged him back down.

"What's your problem?" The nearly bald boy demanded.

"Are you fucked in the head?" Reiner hissed in response. "It's suicide out there. They're trying to bribe us with songs and the holidays, then they'll blow us to Kingdom Come!"

"You heard it too, the talk of truces for Christmas! They're not going to shoot us!"

"Don't be stupid."

Connie turned to Eren for help. "Come on, Jäger, you were just talking about how much you wanted a truce a few hours ago."

The brunet shot the larger blond a glance. Reiner was looking at him to stop Connie's insanity. He dropped his eyes and licked his lips nervously. "I did say that."

"Eren…" The other whispered in disbelief, while Connie's face lit up in excitement.

"So let's get out there and celebrate then! I'm dying to see a real Tommy close up."

A new voice piped in. "But I heard they're just laid out there in wait till we all get out there, then they strike. Boom! Shoot us all straight in the head." It was Tomas Wagner this time.

"Yeah? And who's feeding you that load of shit?" Connie demanded.

"Adolf told me."

"Who the fuck is Adolf?" (3)

"He's a runner who tells me what's going on all along the Front."

"Well Adolf can shove it up his –"

"Connie." Reiner finally interrupted.

"What? He has no proof. Just some hearsay from some guy down the line –!"

"He has a point though. We _don't_ know if those guys are tricking us into going out or not. It's safer to just wait. Right, Eren? Back me up here."

But Eren was no longer paying attention to them. He was too busy staring at the walls of the trench, where all the rest of the men in their squad had already crawled most of the way out. If the English or the French wanted to take them out, they were more than able to now. Rather than return to the argument between his friends, the brunet pushed off the wall and started scrambling up the ground to join them.

"Verdammt! Eren! Get back down here before you're killed!"

His head was now barely above the side, and he could see snow all around, his fellow soldiers walking slowly across no-man's land, where the men on the other side were doing the same. He crawled the rest of the way out, but stayed crouched.

"Eren!" Connie was already climbing towards him, and the brunet offered his hand to help.

"If they're going to kill me, then so be it. I'm probably going to die either way." And with that, he pulled Connie the rest of the way out, the two of them now completely standing at their full height. There was a muttered curse, some rustling, and Eren didn't need to look to know Reiner had joined them.

"If I'm killed tonight, my ghost will be back to haunt you Jäger." Reiner promised.

The brunet just laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go make some new friends, shall we?"

Both sides were approaching each other at a snail's pace. Some of the Englishmen had their hands raised in a defensive position, as if to show they were unarmed, while others were holding bottles in front of them like a shield. Eren realised too late that they were intended as presents, which he had none. He frantically searched his pockets, but all he came across was some chocolate. Then he realised; the others probably hadn't tasted German chocolate before, and everyone knew it was the best chocolate in the world. This could be his gift.

"Parlez-vous français?" A short man called to them, a bottle clutched in his right hand.

Eren frowned. He'd thought all these men were English, but this sounded like the language he'd heard all across the land on the long march here. He turned to Connie, who was better educated than both he and Reiner in other languages. "Is he speaking French?" He whispered. Connie nodded. "Well, quick. How do I respond?"

He missed the glance and the smile between his two friends, listening only to Connie's response. "Tell him: 'ma mere est tellement petite, que sa tête pue des pieds'."

Eren frowned, trying to concentrate on the words. "Ok slower. Mah?"

Connie nodded, trying his best to keep his giggles down. "Ma mere est…"

"Mah mere ist!"

"…tellement petite…"

"Tellement patit!"

"…queue sa tête pue…"

"Kay saw tay pü!"

"…des pieds."

"Des Peeds!"

As soon as Eren finished, both Connie and Reiner erupted into giggles, collapsing on the ground in mirth. "What?" He demanded. "What did I say?" Both of them were too far gone to respond.

"You told me that your mother is so short, her head smells of feet." Eren spun around to see the French soldier standing there, bottle in hand, giving him a curious look.

"You speak German?"

"Noch ein bisschen." The man held the bottle out as an offering. "I would ask if you speak English, but if it's half as bad as your French, I think I'd rather not hear it. Drink?"

Eren dug through his pockets again, cursing himself for not having the chocolate in hand. When he finally found it, he handed it to the man in exchange for the bottle. It was still closed, but the label read Champagne, and so he grabbed his pocketknife to pull out the cork. "Sorry. I don't speak anything besides German."

"I think your friends made that abundantly clear." He motioned his hand. "Shall we leave them to their fun?" The two of them wandered over to a mound which seemed devoid of any bodies or laughing Germans.

Once they were seated, and Eren had gotten to work on the cork, he decided to ask the first question. "My name's Eren. You?"

"Levi." The man in question took a bite of the chocolate bar handed to him just as Eren pulled the cork out of the bottle.

"You say you only speak a little German, but it's very impressive. Where did you learn?" He took a sip of the drink, letting the bubbles and alcohol clear out his throat of nerves before offering it to Levi. The short Frenchman took it and drank without responding, then offered it back.

Eren was starting to feel a bit awkward in the exchange. Why did the man bother coming all the way out of the trenches and over to Eren if he just wanted to drink in silence?

"That was quite impressive," Levi spoke as soon as Eren gave up hope in ever befriending him. He looked at the man questioningly. "The rendition of douce nuit." Eren was still confused. "Stille Nacht."

"Ah." Eren finally understood. "Yeah. You sung it in French, then?"

"Of course. The words are different, but the meaning is the same." He took another bite of the chocolate. "This is wonderful, where did you get it?"

"The chocolate? It was just in our rations. You like it?" Levi shot him a look which clearly said 'of course I like it' which, rather than deter him, caused Eren to smile widely. "German chocolate is the best in the whole world."

Levi snorted at him, but took another bite all the same. "Of course you would say that."

"It's true!"

"Where are you from then?" The man asked, deftly changing the subject.

Eren swallowed his next drink of champagne, not having expected a new question so early. "Uh, Leipzig."

Levi raised his eyebrow. "Are you unsure?"

"No, of course not," Eren flushed, "it's just a small town kind of _near_ Leipzig, but not even all the people here know its name, so I just kinda say Leipzig…" He trailed off, flustered for no reason. "What about you?" He finally mustered.

Once again, the man ignored him. He was impossible to have a conversation with. Eren was starting to think he'd be better off finding a new Frenchman to talk to. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the other cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for acting so uncivil. It's just, this…" He gestured around them. "Doesn't make sense to me. I don't see the point in making friends with someone I'll have to kill tomorrow."

He certainly had a point. "Well, not tomorrow hopefully. Tomorrow's Christmas."

Levi snorted, finishing the last bite of chocolate. "That was excellent chocolate." The man could win an award at changing the subject when things got uncomfortable.

"If you think that's good, you should try some of the stuff Connie brought from home. It was literally the best chocolate I've ever had in my life."

"Connie?" Levi questioned as Eren belatedly remembered the man had _no idea_ who was fighting on the German side.

"Yeah. He's the bald one who told me what to say in French. He's from München, and he's always talking about how much better everything is down there. Don't let him believe it. I mean the chocolate was really good, but I'm sure everything else sucks." He took a large swig of champagne once he'd finished talking.

"Have you never been there?" The short man asked, finally putting effort into their conversation.

Eren took another small sip before responding. "No. This is the farthest from home I've ever been, actually. I used to just work on the farm with my mom and sister and occasionally go into the city. Leipzig, I mean."

Levi nodded. "I remember. You have a sister?"

"Yeah. Adopted. I think she's from somewhere in China or something, so I don't know how she got to Germany…But Mutti adopted her, and we've been brother and sister since." He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his wallet, showing Levi a picture of the three of them. "That one there is my mom, and the one next to me is Mikasa. My sister." He pointed them out as he said their names. He put it away and turned to Levi again. "What about you? Any family?"

The Frenchman gave a barely perceivable frown, indicating Eren's question was a bad one, before shaking his head. "I barely knew my own mother before she passed. I never knew my father."

"My dad was pretty useless when he was there," Eren sympathised.

They fell into silence again – only broken by the occasional fizz of champagne being poured down their throats. It gave Eren a chance to look around the area between the trenches. It was amazing how different it looked compared to any other day. Men from both sides were mingling – most sitting and talking like him and Levi – sharing food and gifts with each other. It was a welcome relief from the constant gunshots and screams of fighting and death.

Levi seemed to notice the same thing. "This is so much more peaceful than normal." Eren nodded, not sure the shorter man was looking for a response. "Christmas is truly a magical time."

"My mom used to tell us that anything could happen on Christmas." He sighed. "But I really thought we'd be home by now. I thought the war would've already ended."

Levi took a large drink from the bottle. It was nearly half empty now. "Didn't we all, kid. Didn't we all."

Eren continued, ignoring the fact he'd just been called a kid by someone fighting on the other side. "It's pretty unfair of them to make us fight a war on Christmas anyway. Especially when they said it would last six months tops."

"Don't think about it too much. The people at the top don't care about what happens to us pawns on the bottom. We're as replaceable as a handkerchief to them."

Eren grabbed the champagne from Levi, chugging it. The short man was right, of course. Talking about war when you were a soldier on the front line was stupid. Talking about it with your enemy was probably worse. This time it was he who looked for a topic change. "Shame the Olympics were cancelled, huh?" It was a lame conversation change, but he needed something to take them away from war. Unfortunately for the half-buzzed German, this topic just brought them right back around.

"Well, given the circumstances I wouldn't expect any different."

He was grasping at straws. For some reason, Eren didn't want to have to go find a new Frenchman to talk to. There was no guarantee any of the others could even speak German. And he liked Levi. Even if the man hardly said a word. Something about his presence made Eren feel at ease.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" He blurted after several moments of silent thinking.

A flash of shock, fear and something else the young German couldn't quite catch flew across the other's face before it returned to its unemotional mask. "No. And I don't suppose you do; you're such a brat."

"Hey! I'm not a brat!"

"Hmm…" A smirk played on Levi's lips. "If it looks like a brat, sounds like a brat, and talks like a brat…"

"You just met me! That's not fair!"

"Mother, adopted sister, never been further from home than Leipzig," Levi ticked off on his fingers one by one. "Shall I continue?"

"You don't make any sense," Eren grumbled, returning to his drink.

He saw Levi's smirk widen out of the corner of his eye. The German blushed – probably because caused by how much he'd had to drink and definitely not because of the almost-smile on the shorter man's face – and decided it was best he didn't respond. The two of them sat in amicable silence, occasionally passing the bottle back and forth between them until the champagne ran out.

He didn't even notice how long they'd been sitting there until the faint traces of sunlight rose over the horizon. "Jäger!" Reinier's voice rang out, breaking Eren from the daze he'd fallen in. He turned his head and saw the blond waving from him across the field. "The Captain needs us!"

He turned to Levi and found the shorter man staring back at him. "I have to go."

The older man nodded. "The truce is bound to end eventually. It's best both sides gather their dead before then."

They stood simultaneously. Eren still held the now empty bottle in his hand. He offered it to Levi after neither of them had moved. The older man shook his head. "Keep it. As a souvenir."

"Yeah…" Eren cleared his throat. "I guess I'll…uh…see you around then." Levi raised his eyebrows but didn't respond. He took that as his cue to leave. With a half-hearted wave he walked back toward Reinier and Connie, where they were already dragging a body off the field. It didn't register until a few hours later that he would probably never see the Frenchman again.

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**_Footnotes and Translations:_**

_(1) Tommy: The German's name for British soldiers_

_(2) German lyrics to Silent Night_

_(3) Yes, this Adolf is Hitler. He was a runner on the Western Front during WW1 and strongly opposed a Christmas Truce._

**_German:_**

_Vollidiot: Complete idiot_

_Verdammt: bloody/blasted/infernal or I like to think of it as GODDAMMIT_

_noch ein bisshen: just a little_

**_French:_**

_Parlez-vous français?: Do you speak French?_


	2. 1915

**AN:** _Today is the 11th day of Ficmas, aka Christmas Eve! Fun fact: I prefer the 24th to the 25th. It's so much...I don't know...better. For unknown reasons._

_Anyway, today's gift is the 2nd of 3 chapters in my SNK WW1 AU. Translations at the bottom. I love reading what my readers think, so feel free to drop a review! Enjoy!_

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**24. December 1915**

**2 km outside a village on Bernhardstein Mountain**

**Vosges Mountain Range, France**

It was the fourth of January following the Truce that Levi was shot. Not directly, but a ricochet bullet somehow managed to jump right into his foot. And foot injuries during trench warfare was an almost guaranteed death certificate.

Luckily, a medic was nearby and he was bandaged up well enough to prevent the spread of infection until he was carried off to a real hospital.

It still took months to heal to the point he could go for long marches with his rifle on his back. And once it was, he was given a choice: go back to the trenches where his men had been picked off and were now replaced by an English squad, or join his own men – Frenchmen – in the Vosges Mountains.

The choice was simple. The trenches brought back memories of eyes as green as summer grass, gleaming in the moonlight. Of a laugh as clear as the sky on a sunny day. Of a voice that told stories and said things that made him think it wouldn't be so bad to let the Germans win, so long as they were all like _him_.

The trenches made Levi wonder why he was fighting this war. They made him question his country, his captain, his loyalty.

And there was nothing left for him in the trenches. His squad was gone now; replaced by the Brits. And so too would the boy with the silky hair and deep green eyes. The death rate was high in the trenches. It was unlikely the kid named Jäger, who spoke French so poorly, had even made it to the New Year.

So Levi chose the mountains. They offered a clarity of mind he wouldn't get back down in the dirt; they reminded him why he was fighting. He fought for his mother and father, who had died years earlier like so many during the Long Depression. He fought for the kids on the streets who he lived with for years before joining the army. He fought for one in particular, a blond boy with golden eyes who was the reason he was condemned in the first place. But most of all, he fought for France. Because he had no one left to care about anymore, and so if he were to die then at least it should have some meaning behind it.

Months later, he became captain of his own squad.

He led his men around the range, fighting the Germans, sometimes winning and sometimes losing, until he found himself here. The mountain of Bernhardstein. The German regiment on the other side was fighting valiantly, and it looked like both sides were settling in for a long fight.

War was strange. Time somehow managed to pass both incredibly fast and also unbearably slow at the same time. Before he knew it there was holly and mistletoe in the towns around them. It was Christmas again.

But this time, there was an order from the top: no truces. It didn't stop the rumors, the talking, the singing. His squad was trying to get the Germans to break the order it was rumored they had too; they were trying to start another truce, even just a temporary one. He yelled at them to stop and shot them glares every time they didn't notice him standing there and talked of their plans. But he couldn't stop the villagers from hanging wreaths down in town a kilometer or so back, nor could he stop them from singing.

This sort of nonsense was something he supposed the Germans never had to put up with. They were disciplined. They never tried to start rubbish truces. They –

"Hallo?! Parley vois französisch?!" Laugher. A man was standing in the middle of the road they'd been fighting over, waving what appeared to be a white shirt. Then: "Scheisse. Ich meine: Parlay vois frances?" The laughter grew. Levi now had one eyebrow cocked, his men silently watched him, but he just waited. "Shut up, Reiner!" The voice yelled back toward his men. Levi's eyes widened. No. It couldn't be. "I'm going to have another truce and you can't stop me!"

Levi wasn't going to take much more of this. One of his men, Jean if he remembered correctly, had his rifle raised. "Should I shoot him?" Levi just shook his head. "No. Wait." He knew that voice. The bad French and crass German were all he needed to confirm it.

"Tu parles françes comme une vache espagnole!" He shouted back, eliciting laughter from both sides now.

"What? What did he say?" The boy yelled back to his friends. He didn't even give them time to answer.

"Glücklich für dich, ich spreche Deutsch." He made to stand, but Jean grabbed his shoulder.

"Sir," he whispered. "This is dangerous."

Levi just shook him off. "I know what I'm doing."

He finally stood and stepped out into the road. From where he had been standing before, the figure was wrapped in shadows. But now, with the moon shining brightly overhead, Levi was left with no doubt that the person was exactly who he thought it was.

Green – mountain trees swaying in the breeze – eyes widened. "Levi?" He breathed, his voice barely audible over the distance.

For a moment, just a moment, Levi considered pretending he didn't recognize the boy. That he'd never seen him in his life. Then he came to his senses. After last time, he'd thought he'd never be able to see him again. Now here he was, as some act of providence, standing before him. So instead, he responded with:

"Your French is as bad as I remember." And took a step forward. "Jäger, right?" As if he didn't know.

"You can call me Eren." The boy was walking now too.

They met in the middle. Levi lowered his voice until he was sure both sides wouldn't hear him. "What are you doing?"

"I know we all have orders from the top not to, but Levi…" Eren whispered back. "It's Christmas."

_No,_ Levi thought madly. _What are you doing _here_? Why are you here where I have to try and kill you again? Why does it have to be you?_ But he didn't say any of that out loud. Of course he didn't. Instead he asked:

"Who told you to come out here? Send him out. I want to talk to the man in charge."

Eren shifted nervously. "He…uh…he died. The other day."

Leave it to the brat to divulge information to the enemy. "What? Who's in charge now?"

"Well…I am." Levi shrunk back at that. This wasn't possible. Eren didn't notice the change. "We're all the same rank, but I'm the loudest and most popular so I was voted until we get a new one. It's not really as great as everyone thinks. I have to make decisions and – "

"I get it. But why risk this?"

The boy stared back at him, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I already told you. It's Christmas. Please."

His men had been talking about it all week. But the truce was a forbidden thing. Then again, how did those above expect him to say no when he was looked at like that? How could he say no to Eren Jäger?

"Fine," he hissed finally. "But only for tonight."

"But tomorrow's Christmas Day!"

"Dammit Jäger." He drew his hand over his face. "Fine tonight and tomorrow. Because it's Christmas." The look on the other's face was one of pure joy. He turned to tell his troops, but was stopped by Levi's hand on his shoulder. "Listen now, and listen good. After sunset tomorrow, you and your troop pack up and leave."

"I'm not gonna fall for –"

"Just!...listen. You'll pack up and leave because I have a regiment greater than yours at my disposal. They have a leader. You don't. And if your captain is dead, then others are too. Is that true?" A guilty look on the kid's face was all he needed to know. Eren was never a good liar. "I met you last Christmas, and I thought I'd never see you again. I actually like you and it'd be kind of a shame to have to kill you. Don't you think?" Eren nodded. "Good. Grab your troop then. You'll have your truce."

The kid ran back to his side, shouting something in rapid German that Levi couldn't quite catch. He sighed in resignation as he returned to his own men. They were going to be pleased about this, but he would never hear the end of it from Jean. After ignoring his men's begging and pleading for weeks, all it took was a pair of green eyes and a 'please' for him to give in.

"What's going on, Captain?" Jean asked once he was back.

Levi ignored the blond, instead looking at the rest of his squad in general. "You have your truce." A collective cheer went out at that, and the French ran out to greet the Germans.

Jean clapped Levi on the back as they watched. "It was that Jäger kid, wasn't it?"

"Shut up and go join the others." He shrugged the other off, and Jean walked away, pulling out a pack of cigarettes as he went.

It didn't take long for both sides to agree that it was too damn cold and start a fire. Soon, everyone was gathered around it exchanging small trinkets as gifts. Levi hovered just on the outside of the light, watching the scene unfold.

"Are you just planning to stand out here and watch?" He turned his head at the now familiar German voice. Eren held a small square out to him as he approached. "I brought you some chocolate."

A small smile graced the Frenchman's face for a split second before it returned to its emotionless state. "I don't have any champagne this time. My apologies."

"That's alright, I swiped some wine from the old Captain's stash." He produced a bottle from behind him and sat down on the log beside Levi.

The shorter man scooted over to give Eren more room. "Wow. Two gifts from you, and here I have none. How rude of me."

"Naw. You gave me the truce. Couldn't have done it without you." The German smiled down at him before looking the wine bottle over. "Although I could use a corkscrew if you have one."

Levi took the bottle from the kid before he did something stupid. He grabbed his pocketknife, stabbing it into the cork before pulling it out with a pop. He sniffed the wine before taking a drink and handing it back to Eren. "German's should stick to brewing beer."

"Yeah yeah. And the French should stick to speaking French." Eren took a sip and gave it back to Levi. "You have a terrible accent, you know that?"

"You told me last time that my German was wonderful."

"Yeah, well last time we'd just met. Now we're friends. I can tell you what I want."

Levi stared at the kid silently. Eren brought the wine to his lips, eyes watching the fire. Levi could see the flames dancing in the kid's eyes. "Friends is a dangerous term," he whispered without meaning to.

Either the kid didn't hear him, or he didn't listen, because the next words to come out of his mouth weren't even related. "Hey Levi, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"Canada," the Frenchman answered automatically.

Eren looked at him, eyebrow cocked in confusion. "Canada? Isn't that in the United States?"

"Just above it actually." He stole the bottle back from the kid. It was _his_ gift after all. "And they speak French there."

"If you want to speak French, then why not say France?"

"France isn't so great," he breathed in response. No France wasn't so great. All their talk of love and acceptance had done nothing but land him in this damn war.

"Then why do you fight for them?" Eren spoke in a whisper, and it wasn't until Levi turned around that he saw how close they were sitting. Too close.

He cleared his throat, sitting back. "Where would you go?"

Eren blinked a few times, as if trying to clear his own mind. (Impossible, there was no way he was as affected by Levi's presence as Levi was of his.) "Uh…Switzerland." He said finally.

"Not home to 'near Leipzig'?"

The kid's stupid green eyes lit up. "You remembered!" Levi suppressed a smile and simply nodded. "Yeah. I'd go to Switzerland instead. It's…it's neutral. And they speak German there…and…and…" His face fell. "And there's nothing for me back home anymore." The last was spoken barely above a whisper.

Levi mentally slapped himself for bringing up something so stupid. Not that he could've known. He tried in vain to save face. "Well I hear Switzerland is great." He took a bite of the chocolate that had lain forgotten on his lap. "I hear they make better chocolate than you Germans."

It worked. "No way! No one makes better chocolate!"

He shrugged back at the kid, taking another bite. "That's what I hear."

"Well whoever told you that is stupid."

"Don't knock it till you try it brat."

Eren bristled. "I told you not to call me brat!"

"Did you?" Levi smirked. "That was a year ago. It's so hard to remember."

The kid grumbled to himself as he took another sip from the bottle. The way things were going, they'd finish this wine faster than they had the champagne the year before. "Are you even old enough to be drinking?" Levi finally asked.

"_Yes_. As a matter of fact I am. Why does everyone always ask me that?" His cheeks were pink and he sounded slightly irritated.

"Because you have a baby face and act like a brat."

"I'm not a brat!" Eren puffed out his cheeks in a move that proved Levi's point. "You…you…you have a funny accent!"

Levi sighed. "Well I am French."

"You want to go to America!"

"I said Canada."

"Whatever! It's still a weird place. On the other side of the world."

The French Captain was doing his best not to smile at the other. They were having a stupid, childish argument, but all he could think of was how the occasional light breeze would sway Eren's hair, sending some of his scent Levi's way. And despite being a soldier just like him, Eren smelled like nutmeg and warm spices. It was intoxicating.

"Say, Levi…" Eren spoke again after they'd sat silent for a while. He was spinning the half empty wine bottle in his fingers, staring at the fire again. "After this is all over, we should meet up in Switzerland."

Levi let out a soft snort. "Yeah. We can go to a café and drink hot chocolate and discuss the differences between the Swiss and German chocolates."

Eren turned his head, holding Levi's gaze with his own. "I'm serious."

"Kid…" He sighed lightly. "It's not possible. This war is going to last a lot longer than the New Year. It's unlikely either of us will even survive to see the end of it if we keep fighting on the front line like this." He didn't want to think about it, but it was the truth. The chances of them both making it out alive was so small. It would have to take a miracle. "And even if we did, Switzerland has a lot of cafés. What makes you think we'll even be able to find each other in one small place in an entire country?"

"We found each other here." The kid whispered it to the ground by his feet.

"Coincidence."

Eren shook his head. "I don't believe that."

It was impossible to argue with him. The thought crossed Levi's mind that this was probably going to be the last time he'd ever see the German kid. It made his stomach clench painfully. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to humor him.

"Ok," he said finally. "Ok. Once the war is over" – _assuming we survive _– "I'll go to Switzerland, find a café, and wait for you there."

The look on Eren's face when he looked back up and smiled at Levi made it all worth it. Even though he knew it wasn't likely to happen, at that moment Levi thought maybe it could. After all, he'd never dreamed he'd see Eren again and here they both were.

They sat together, talking for most of the night. There was a point in time the fire started to die down, and the soldiers from both sides were seen snoring by the embers, indistinguishable from each other. Levi was certain he'd dozed off at some point too, because the next thing he knew the sun was rising.

At first, he wasn't sure where he was. A quick glance around at the soldiers all lying – sleeping, not dead – on the ground reminded him. It took him longer to realise he was leaning on Eren. He bolted up immediately, putting more space between himself and the German, noting the hand that dropped away from his shoulder.

Green eyes blinked open. "Wha-?" The question was broken off by a large yawn. "Oh. Morning Levi." The kid smiled when he saw the other.

"Good morning." Levi returned stiffly.

"Is today the day…?"

He turned his head, not wanting to think about it. "You and your men have until sunset."

"Right. Thanks." The brunet shot a stunning grin at him before standing up and stretching his arms overhead. "I think I'm going to go talk to the rest of my men. Let them know." He waved to Levi and walked away.

The day was spent singing Christmas carols, drinking alcohol – some of the French squad snuck back down to the village to get more – and gift giving. Some of the men were even exchanging photos and addresses, making promises to visit each other once the war was over. Levi felt his heart sink each time. This war was wrong. So wrong. He was witnessing men making lasting friendships with people they would be ordered to kill if Eren didn't uphold his end of the bargain. It was cruel.

The Frenchman interacted with a few other Germans, and was finally able to meet Connie and Reinier, but kept finding his gaze wandering back to Eren. Every time he did, the brunet would turn and meet his eyes, shooting him a small smile. All in all, it wasn't a bad Christmas.

But soon enough sunset came.

Eren found him just as the pink hues appeared on the horizon. "Thanks, Levi. For everything I mean."

The shorter man choked up. He wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. "Don't mention it. I'll see you in Switzerland when this is all over, right?"

The other smiled. "Yeah. I'll find you in a café."

"I'll be waiting." The German turned to leave, his men already visible on the other side of the line. "Eren!" He yelled out the other's name for the first time. The boy turned. "Frohe Weihnachten."

"Joyeux Noël, Levi."

* * *

**Translations:**

_Hallo?! Parley vois französisch?!: _Eren's sad attempt to ask (in French) if they spoke French

_Scheisse. Ich meine: _German for"Shit. I meant."

_Tu parles françes comme une vache espagnole!: _French for"You speak French like a Spanish cow"

_Glücklich für dich, ich spreche Deutsch: _German for "Luckily for you, I speak German."

_Frohe Weihnachten _and _Joyeux Noël:_ German and French (respectively) for "Merry Christmas"


	3. After the War

**AN:** _Merry Christmas everyone! This marks the end of the 12 days of Ficmas. I hope you enjoy this chapter and drop a review!_

* * *

**24. December 1918**

**A little café in Switzerland**

Christmases had become something of a bore since 1915. The German military cracked down on spontaneous truce-making and parlays. The soldiers – especially the newer ones – were more willing to attack and kill their so-called enemy now, but Eren wasn't. He could never forget about the short, angry Frenchman who spoke German almost perfectly, if it weren't for that accent.

He actually thought he'd found him again, in the summer of 1917. As soon as he thought he'd heard Levi's voice again, he'd run out into the middle of the field they were fighting over – it was relatively peaceful at the time – and managed to get himself shot in the stomach.

Eren was saved by Reiner, well actually he was saved by the medic who patched him up and sent him to Berlin for surgery, but Reiner was the one who pulled him back into the trees and screamed for someone to help. But now that the war had ended, he hadn't heard hide nor hair of Reiner, Connie, Tomas, or anyone else he fought alongside. Rumor had it the soldiers had been released home to their families.

He thought about going back to see if Reiner had, in fact, made it. He thought about staying in Berlin to live with his sister and her husband. He thought of a lot of things.

But for some really stupid reason, he found himself in Switzerland. He'd been wandering around the entire country, stopping at small cafés, hoping to find Levi waiting inside. This was his 20th or so attempt. He'd lost track.

And that's when it happened. That's when he heard the voice. Yelling something in French. Connie had taught him to speak a little during the war, and he had gotten better at it, but he could still hardly understand a word. All he understood was the angry tone and who was speaking it. He could hardly believe his ears; he was so sure he'd never hear that voice again. But here it was.

"You're as rude as ever," he called in German as he approached, not ready to embarrass himself with French again. The man froze, and for a single horrifying moment, Eren was sure he'd found the wrong man.

Then he turned. And this time, it was Levi who looked surprised by the turn of events. "Jäger."

Eren sat down across the table from him. "Hey." He smiled what he'd hoped was a winning smile, but probably just made him look foolish. Levi didn't smile back.

"What are you doing here?" But it wasn't said in the kind, caring tone he's been hoping for. It was rougher, harsher, colder.

"I…I was just…traveling." He trailed off, then regained confidence again. "I never thought I'd run into you again. Yet here you are. On Christmas Eve. Just like old times." Levi didn't speak. Just gave him a blank stare. So he cleared his throat and tried again. "Why aren't you in France?"

Levi finally made eye contact, and Eren was taken aback by how tired he looked. "What do you want, Jäger?"

His mind raced to come up with an answer. _I want to speak with the man I met four years ago on peaceful terms. I want to know why my heart beats faster when I hear someone speak French. I want to know why I ran out in the field years ago. I want you._

"I was shot." Levi's expression transformed into one of complete shock. Eren was sure his mirrored it; he hadn't meant to say that at all. Regardless, he continued. "In the stomach, actually. The doctor said I was lucky; he said it went clean through and didn't cause any lasting damage."

Levi was staring at him with rapt attention, making no move to interrupt. "It hurt like hell though. Took months for me to be able to eat without feeling like I was dying, and then longer 'til I could sit up on my own." He let out a little laugh. "Missed out on the end of the war too. Hell, I don't even know if my friends are alive."

"Why are you telling me this?" Levi finally said, after Eren had been quiet a while.

Eren shook his head. "I don't know."

"I can't figure you out. We've only met twice. We aren't friends. Hell, now that the war's over, we aren't even enemies! I don't understand."

Eren leaned over the table, grabbing Levi's hands without meaning to. "But we could be friends." He smiled again, trying to win the other over.

Levi stared at him for a moment, then jerked his hands away as if suddenly realising what he'd been doing. "You don't want to be friends with me."

"Yes I do."

"No!" He drew his hand over his face in a manner reminiscent to how he remembered from before. "You want to know why I'm not in France? Because my family died years ago. Because the people I grew up with lived on the streets, and most of them died off too quickly. Because" – he took a deep breath – "I was in love with someone once and was condemned for it." His eyes finally met Eren's again. "You don't know me at all."

"I want to." He hadn't meant anything quite so much as he meant that now.

"Why?"

"I got shot because of you." Once again, the words were out before he could stop them.

Levi looked confused. "You…? What?"

"What do you mean you were 'condemned'?" Eren shot back.

"No," Levi shook his head. "You tell me what you mean by you were shot because of me."

"Tell me about who you" – he hesitated to say it for a second – "loved first."

They had a staring match at that, trying to see who would back down first. To Eren's surprise, it was Levi. "Fine," he spat. "Then you'll leave me in peace. Right?"

Eren's mouth hardened into a thin line. "I don't think so."

After a glare, the dark-eyed man finally gave in completely. "Despite what people may think about the 'most romantic country in the world', France isn't all that accepting of love stories out of the ordinary."

"What like Romeo and Juliet?" Eren asked innocently. He'd never read the book, but he'd heard others talk about it. Two lovers who were torn apart by their parents and killed themselves to prove a point, or something like that.

Levi gave a sardonic grimace. "More like Romeo and Tybalt."

"Who?"

"Never mind." He looked away again, a fact that upset Eren for some reason. "Point is, after what happened I had nothing left. And rather than remain with my reputation I went on to fight for my country. The war had impeccable timing if I do say so myself."

Eren's heart sunk a little in his chest. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he'd hoped it was something different. "So why don't you go back to her now? You were a captain. I'm sure you have some medals from the battles you won." He swallowed hard, his voice coming from far away to his own ears. "She'd be lucky to have you."

A grin spread over Levi's face, but his eyes remained cold. "_He_'s dead."

Eren blinked, understanding coming too slow. Then it hit him. He opened his mouth in a silent 'oh', the sound never coming out. He was sure his eyes were the size of dinner plates too.

"So there you have it," Levi concluded. "People aren't quite so accepting when you're in love with another man." The frown returned. "And now I believe it's your turn to say exactly what you meant by 'you got shot by me'."

But Eren was still reeling in shock from the realisation that came just moments before. He wasn't able to think before he spoke – which really wasn't unusual for him. "I thought I heard your voice on the other side of this field we were fighting over. There wasn't even any fighting going on at the moment. So I just ran out and started yelling things to get your attention. Then I was shot. That's really all."

Now it was Levi's turn to look surprised. "You ran out into the middle of a battlefield because you thought you heard my voice?"

"Hey! I said there wasn't any battling going on!"

"You are a complete idiot. What were you even thinking?" Levi was looking at Eren like he'd never seen anyone quite like him before.

"I thought I heard you."

"So you assumed if it were me, I wouldn't have you shot?"

"I don't know." Levi appeared ready to interrupt, so Eren spoke over him quickly. "Look, I don't know what it's like to be condemned for loving someone, or to have to raise yourself on the streets somewhere. I can't imagine what you've been through. But I have to say one thing."

"What?" The other answered almost automatically.

"I'm glad you went through that and were sent to the trenches back then." He looked indignant, so Eren tried swiftly to dig himself out of the hole he'd landed in. "I never would've met you otherwise. And…and now we've met three times. That's gotta be fate or…or something…" His nerves took over and he trailed off into silence.

Levi just gazed at him incredulously. "Do you know what you're saying?"

Eren shook his head. "Not really. But I think I have an idea. This is only the third time we've met, but I think I would like a fourth and a fifth."

"I like men. A lot of people are not ok with something like that." He said seriously.

Eren swallowed hard, his next words coming out as something barely more than a whisper. "I think I do too."

They sat there silently. Levi's face was screwed up in concentration, as if he were trying to come to a decision. Finally, he seemed to have decided. Levi's hand twitched before darting out and claiming Eren's on the table. "Let's get out of here, what do you say?" He released his grip and stood back from the table, waiting for Eren to do the same.

They walked away from the café, toward the edge of town side by side. Once Eren was sure no one was around, he reached out and grabbed Levi's hand, intertwining their fingers. He felt, more than heard, the older man gasp. They drew closer together, their breath coming out in puffs of smoke in front of their faces.

"I've never done this before," Eren broke the silence.

"What? Held hands with another man?"

"No. Been in love." He could swear he saw the other's cheeks turn a slight shade of pink.

"Idiot," Levi muttered, pushing Eren a bit with his shoulder. "You can't just say things like that."

He laughed, feeling lighter than he had in years. "I took a bullet for you!"

"Don't go blaming your problems on me, brat! You're the dumbass who ran into the field, not me."

Eren squeezed Levi's hands tighter. "And I don't regret it for an instant."

"Idiot…" Levi muttered under his breath.

At that moment, a whooshing sound came from near town, and they turned to see fireworks lighting the sky. "Beautiful…" Eren breathed as they stopped to watch.

A hand on his cheek called his attention back to the man next to him. "Yes," the other agreed. "You are." The hand moved to grip his chin, and he felt his face lowered. Once he realised what was happening, he moved of his own accord. Their lips met in a chaste kiss; something small and sweet, but still enough to send heat through his body. When they broke apart, Levi's face was a swirl of lust and emotion. Eren smiled, the knowledge that he'd been the one to cause that filling him with pride. He could stay in that moment forever.

But then, as if it couldn't get any better, the townspeople began to sing.

Eren gasped. "Stille Nacht."

Levi smiled at him, a true genuine smile. "Joyeux Nöel, Eren."

"Frohe Weihnachten, Levi."

Perfect.

* * *

**25. December 1939**

**A small apartment in Canada**

"So Hitler really did ignore the Pope's plea for peace." Eren remarked, looking over his coffee.

Levi sighed and closed his newspaper, folding his glasses and setting them on the side table next to him. "It would appear so." He took a sip from his own cup. "He was never much for truces on Christmas anyway."

"Mhm." The former German soldier took a sip from his coffee cup.

The shorter man smirked. "We wouldn't need truces if you damn Germans would stop starting world wars."

"Hey!" Eren exclaimed. "I am not like him."

Levi smiled to himself. He loved getting the other man worked up like this. "Mhm. And yet you were fighting in the trenches alongside him."

"I have told you time and time again! I did not fight _alongside_ him! I didn't even know he was in the trenches!"

A chuckle came from the former French soldier. "Yes, yes. You did tell me that."

"Besides!" The brat – even 25 years after their first meeting, Eren was still a brat – continued, "I loved truces! I would have truces all the time!"

"That's called _peace_, Eren."

The German gave a triumphant laugh. "Ha! See? I told you I'm not like him. _I_ wouldn't have started another stupid war after what happened in the last one."

"Oh I know."

"Hmph. Then stop pretending you don't." Eren went back to drinking his coffee in a huffy silence.

It had been years since they'd met in that café in Switzerland. Levi had been waiting there, going back day after day, in the hopes he would eventually run into boy he'd promised to see again. Imagine his happiness when he heard that voice call out to him that night. Of course it had been Christmas Eve.

What had the brat called it? Oh that was right. Fate.

After that night, they'd travelled the world together. They went back to Eren's hometown to visit the grave of his mother, who had died of disease in 1915, and found the kid's former squad-mate – Reiner or something – alive, though missing a leg. Another man was living with him, helping work the farm since he no longer could. Levi was surprised to discover the other man was a former British soldier he remembered meeting in the trenches, who had gone missing sometime during the war.

They went to Berlin next, to visit his adopted sister and her husband. She'd fussed over Eren and made no attempt to disguise her hatred of Levi. They didn't stay long.

The last of the trips Eren wanted to make within Germany was to München. He'd practically fainted in relief to find Connie alive and well and ready to propose to his girlfriend, Sasha, who was overly fond of potatoes. Despite what Eren kept telling him, Levi found that most things – the beer, the chocolate, the food – was better here than it was in either Leipzig or Berlin. But he never told the brat that.

Eren insisted they visit Levi's home country before they travelled across the ocean. And the shorter man had been surprisingly pleased when they'd encountered his old subordinate, Jean, by accident in Paris. Jean and Eren had butted heads instantly, so Levi felt no need to visit the younger man's home, and they simply bid each other farewell and good luck. Levi had then shown Eren around his old home, taking him to the places he thought most romantic rather than the slums he'd been living in at the time. The kid loved it.

And so they'd ended up in Canada. Levi helped Eren improve his French – though it was still far from perfect – till the brat could at least hold a conversation, and he'd taught the kid some English. At first, Levi had been worried the former German soldier wouldn't be happy living so far from where he was born. He'd stressed constantly over the thought that Eren would leave him one day, and he'd wake up to find the bed empty of a green eyed brat.

But after rumours of a second European war reached the Western hemisphere the kid had made a comment similar to: "I was always happy we decided to move here, but now I'm even more sure. I don't want to get caught up in that mess again." And all of Levi's worries had faded away.

These last 15 years they'd been living together had been more perfect than he'd even imagined.

Suddenly, Levi found himself wanting to thank Eren for everything. "Hey brat…" He trailed off when he turned his head to find a package being offered to him from the man in question. "What's this?"

"A present." Eren spoke from somewhere hidden behind the gift.

"I can see that. Why'd you get me a present?"

Brunet hair popped up over the wrapping paper. "It's Christmas."

"I told you: you don't need to get me anything for Christmas anymore." _You've already given enough with the truces and finding me again after the war._

"Your birthday then."

"Same as before."

Eren sighed, as though this conversation troubled him. "Our anniversary then."

"We met on the 24th, genius."

"Just take it Levi."

Who was he to argue with Eren? Levi took it, glaring at the other to indicate that he was most decidedly _not happy_ with being given a gift after explicitly asking _not to be given one_. (Of course, he had a present waiting for Eren under their bed sheets, but that is beside the point.) He tore open the wrapping paper, and stared at the gift confused.

It was a book. No, Levi discovered upon opening it, it was an album. Inside were pictures of him and Eren everywhere they'd travelled. Including Canada. Levi found himself turning the pages in awe, seeing photos he'd never realised the brunet had even taken.

"I thought you might want the memories since, you know, the places might not be there anymore. After this new war is over." Eren spoke, but Levi didn't acknowledge him. He'd just turned to the page where he saw the two of them smiling and waving – well Eren was smiling, he was glaring at the camera – in the middle of No Man's land where they'd first met.

"It's perfect." He said without thinking. But it was. It was every memory he had of the brunet. Finally, he looked back up at the other. "Thank you Eren."

Eren planted a soft kiss on Levi's lips. "Happy Christmas, Levi."


End file.
